Chapter 17: A Determined Man

LUCA

Luca watched different emotions flash in Hayley’s eyes. Anger? Fear? Both?

Honestly, he had no idea what he was doing in her apartment. Just as he had no idea why this woman captivated him so much. All he knew was he couldn’t watch her walk away from him.

“Don’t go to Paris,” he said firmly, and she shook her head, eyes wide.

“Why?” she whispered.

He shrugged. “I think you’re better off here.” She let out a shaky breath, then walked over to the kitchen counter and placed her handbag on the countertop.

His eyes followed her as she slipped out of her heels and removed pins from her hair, allowing her beautiful brown waves to fall more freely.

“Why do you care, Luca?” she asked wearily. “What’s it to you if I fly to France, Australia, or the jungles of Africa—hell, why do you care if I stay in New York?”

“Hayley,” he repeated firmly. “I think you’re better off here.”

To her, these probably sounded like the words of a madman. But his mind held the memory of the images Borroni had sent him, especially the picture of Hayley in his bed. How could he protect her if she was in France?

“With you?” She laughed bitterly.

He moved a little closer, and she moved a step back.

“Don’t come any closer, Luca Marcello,” she warned, which made him smirk a little.

She was serious, which was fucking adorable.

He shook his head. “I meant what I said the other day. I’m not a hero, Hayley.”

She snorted. “Believe me, I know. And I meant what I said about wishing you’d taken another girl to the casino.”

He understood why she was lashing out, but her words still stung.

HAYLEY

“My intention wasn’t to hurt you,” Luca said, sounding so sincere and formal that Hayley thought it sounded like a script he’d perfected and used frequently.

In a way, going to that party and sleeping with Luca had been liberating. For years she’d feared getting hurt if she let herself fall, yet it had happened anyway.

But at least she had, for one night, felt real again.

She shrugged, trying to mask her heartache. “It doesn’t matter anymore. You’re not the first man who’s hurt me, Luca.”

But when Luca searched her eyes, she was sure he could see it anyway.

“I want you to leave,” she said forcefully, trying to act as if she had some power here.

She folded her arms—sending the message that she didn’t want him anywhere near her. Yet a part of her would always crave his touch.

“Hayley…”

She wished he’d stop saying her name like that; it cut into her every time.

“Hayley, the night of the casino party was amazing.”

As Luca moved closer to her, Hayley moved back, and before she knew it, she was up against the counter with him in front of her. She was sure he could hear her heart beating in her chest.

She still had her arms folded, and he gently took her elbows in his hands.

“Luca,” she breathed shakily at his touch. This was not what she ~should~ want, yet it was everything she wanted.

“I want you to understand,” he said softly, looking deep into her eyes. “My world, my life, isn’t for you. I’m a dead man walking, a constant target. And people who get close to me die.”

He dropped his voice to a whisper. “They get murdered.”

Luca Marcello, notorious leader of the Marcello crime family, was softening his hard exterior and letting her in.

She didn’t know what possessed her to be so brave or so bold, but she lifted her hand and gently placed it on his face, then put her lips on his.

Luca didn’t stop her. Instead, he moved his hands from her elbows to her waist and held her as he kissed her back.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, and he held her waist and lifted her onto the counter, their lips never breaking contact.

She knew this wouldn’t end well, but she couldn’t stop what she’d started, and she didn’t want to.

“I want you, Hayley,” he murmured through the kisses, and his words were her undoing—making her core ache with passion.

His lips stopped momentarily to lock his eyes on hers, and she nodded before pulling him back to her lips.

“Tell me, Hayley,” he said in low growls between kisses. “Tell me you want this.” He slid her dress up over her hips, revealing her black lace panties.

“I do,” she moaned, then gasped when his fingers skimmed over the wet fabric and began to rub her swollen clit.

She didn’t care if it made her look easy or went against common sense. She wanted him, just as badly as she’d wanted him the night of the casino party.

LUCA

Hayley arched her back as he touched her, and Luca smiled at how wet she was. He never usually had this much fun getting a girl ready for him.

In the past, sex had been purely to let off steam, a means to an end. But with Hayley, he enjoyed focusing on her pleasure.

He stopped kissing her and playing with her clit long enough to pull her dress over her head and toss it across the room, then removed her bra and lay her back on the counter.

He traced kisses from her cheek down her neck, then concentrated on teasing her hard nipples as she lay almost completely exposed to him.

“You’re beautiful,” he murmured as he moved his kisses down her stomach to the lacy edge of her panties.

He pulled them down and tossed them aside as he had with her dress and bra, then admired her glistening pussy.

He took her clit in his mouth and rolled his tongue over it, and as she moaned and jerked her hips, he slipped a finger inside her, his mouth continuing to work her.

When he added a second finger, she arched her back off the counter. She was close.

“Come for me,” he growled, and that was all she needed.

Her body shook as he picked up the speed with his fingers, pumping in and out of her slick, wet pussy. He gently bit her clit, then sucked it hard. He felt her body tighten as she reached her orgasm, then felt her juices flow.

He slowed his fingers and smiled into her delicious pussy.

HAYLEY

Hayley felt him slowly remove his fingers and heard him lick them clean. She opened her eyes and looked up at him and his devilish grin—he was clearly proud of himself.

She sat up and pulled him in for a kiss as she slid off the countertop and down his body, feeling his hard cock against her as she did, then took his hand and led him to her bedroom.

She wasn’t used to being in control like this—it was all new for her. But Luca seemed happy, at least for now, to let her control what happened next.

She removed his expensive jacket, draping it over the chair, then removed his tie and shirt, kissing all over his muscular chest as she did.

She took a second to admire the intricate artwork on his body, which included a tattoo of dog tags wrapped around a gun on his torso.

There was an intricate cross on his right forearm with scrolls around it and lettering that said ~Family~, ~Honor~, and ~Loyalty~.

On his right shoulder was an anchor that was beautiful in its detailing. Underneath were the words ~Refuse to Sink~. And on his other shoulder, coming just across to his chest, was a lion’s head.

As she unbuckled Luca’s belt, he took a condom from his pocket, then held it in his hand while he stepped out of his designer trousers.

She pushed him onto the end of the bed and knelt in front of him, pulling off his boxer briefs. His cock sprang free, the tip glistening with pre-cum, and she put her hand around his thick shaft and slid it up and down.

Her heart was racing as she lowered her head.

LUCA

Luca groaned at her delicate touch. She was just teasing him.

Finally, he felt her warm mouth on his cock, and he didn’t take his eyes off her as she began to take as much of his length in her mouth as she could.

Her mouth and hand worked together in a steady rhythm that made him groan her name. He couldn’t take much more, or he’d cum too soon.

“Hayley,” he said urgently, causing her to look up at him. “I need to be inside you.”

She smiled sweetly, and Luca took over, pulling her onto the bed and putting the condom on in one swift movement, then kissing her neck as he plunged into her.

He loved hearing her moans and whimpers, and he pumped in and out—it was definitely something he wanted to hear more of—and it wasn’t long before they both came.

Hayley stayed under the sheets while Luca went to discard the used condom and get a glass of water.

She was sitting up when he came back into the room in his boxer briefs, carrying all her clothes in his arms. He placed them on the dresser and sat on the bed.

“I have to go,” he said, and noticed the sadness in her eyes, the fear of rejection. “But before you make a decision about leaving, let me show you New York.”

She looked at him, puzzled.

“Give me one day, Hayley. And then if you still want to leave, I’ll personally book your flight.”

“Okay.”

He grinned, then leaned over and kissed her.

“I’ll pick you up at 10 a.m.,” he said, and she smiled happily and nodded. “We’ll grab some breakfast first.”

He finished getting dressed and, after a final kiss, let himself out of her apartment.

He had business back to the Venetian.

***

Luca walked through the staff-only door and headed to the office, where Frankie had told him Siobhan and Adrien were.

He barged in without knocking.

Adrien was sitting with his back facing the door, but he turned his head slightly when Luca came in.

“Siobhan, we need to talk.”

She sighed, but Adrien just smiled and stood up.

“I’ll let you get on then,” he said. “We’ll speak more tomorrow, Siobhan.” He walked past Luca and left the office.

Siobhan crossed her arms. “What’s going on, Luca?”

“Hayley is not going to France.”

Siobhan shook her head. “That’s not your decision, Luca.”

Dammit! Why was she fighting him on this? He clenched his fists.

“I brought Hayley here on a trial,” she continued. “To keep her ~safe~.”

Luca narrowed his eyes and asked, “What were you trying to protect her from?” Siobhan’s eyes went wide for a second, as if he’d hit a nerve. “Hayley has a past, Luca, one I brought her here to protect her from. But now that she’s caught your eye, I have to protect her from ~you~.” She groaned in frustration. “Everything I’ve done has been in vain.”

“I wouldn’t hurt her,” he said fiercely.

“Not with violence, Luca, but you can’t love her. You can’t love anyone; it’s not your nature.” Siobhan slumped in her desk chair and placed her head in her hands.

After a moment, she looked up, her green eyes pleading with him. “You are a son to me, Luca, and she’s like a daughter. I can’t let you hurt her. You can’t treat her like Arianna or any of your other conquests.

“Please, Luca. Let her go.”

“I don’t think I can,” he confessed, and Siobhan dropped her head with a heavy sigh.

“I was afraid you’d say that.”